ASCs contribute to increased workers' compensation payments in Indiana: 6 study findings

Workers' compensation payments are higher in Indiana than most other states, according to the CompScope Medical Benchmarks for Indiana, 22nd Edition and a May 2021 report by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

“Facilities, particularly ambulatory surgery centers, or ASCs, contributed to the higher-than-typical payments in Indiana,” WCRI Executive Vice President Ramona Tanabe said, according to Insurance Journal. “The average ASC facility payment per claim was among the highest of the 18 states [studied by the Workers Compensation Research Institute], and the percentage of claims with facility payments was higher than typical for both ASCs and hospital outpatient departments.”

Here are six insights:

1. Overall workers comp prices paid in Indiana increased 37 percent from 2008 to 2020.
2. Indiana network participation rates increased 70 percent in 2008 to 86 percent in 2020.
3. The average medical payment per workers' compensation claim with 12 months of experience in Indiana was $20,564, 45 percent higher than the median.
4. Most states with no workers' compensation fee schedule experienced faster growth in prices paid compared to states with fee schedules from 2008 to 2020.
5. The six states with no fee schedules (Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Wisconsin) for professional services had higher prices paid than states with fee schedules.
6. 2020 overall prices paid in these states were 44 percent to 179 percent higher than the median for states with fee schedules.